Schools weigh security options

An act of vandalism during the summer and a theft over the weekend has the administrators in the Basehor-Linwood School District considering additional security measures.

On Monday night, Don Swartz, school district director of building operations, briefed members of the Basehor-Linwood School Board on two options for consideration to improve school security. The options would cost anywhere from $13,000 to $15,000.

At approximately 11:30 p.m. Sunday, a classroom at the high school was broken into and a "most expensive," piece of equipment was dismantled and taken. The Basehor Police Department is currently investigating the break-in.

The Sunday incident, combined with a vandalism in the summer of 2003 in which juveniles smashed several high school windows with rocks, has school officials considering adding fencing to the north side of the high school, near where the two incidents occurred, or motion security cameras.

The cost of the security measures would come from a capital outlay fund.

There was no decision made Monday night, but the school board could take up the matter next month.

In other news, the school board is also considering the future of Channel 39, a local television station programmed by the school district.

On Monday night, the school board accepted the resignation of Sue Ryan, a teacher at BLHS, from her duties with channel 39. Ryan teaches a multi-media class at the high school, which produces programming for channel 39.

School officials said Ryan would still teach at the high school and her class would still produce programming for the station. Ryan's resignation is simply to relieve her of the extracurricular duties associated with the television station.

Swartz told the School Board a full-time employee is needed to continue the station in its current format. If the board doesn't hire someone, the channel should either be shut down completely or scaled back as a "community bulletin board," and to broadcast school board meetings.

The board did not make a decision concerning the future of the station Monday but could take action next month.